I've seen a lot of answers here about building a fixie specifically, but I'm looking to build up a road bike. I currently have a Surly Pacer frame and fork, a Richie handlebar and stem, and that's about it.

Can anyone recommend a series of videos or a website that would help me navigate some of this? I know I will probably have to have the help of a professional eventually, but I want to learn as much as I can before that. I plan to go to the swap meet that our cycling club holds every February for used parts, and I want to go in educated.

Any advice is helpful. I've done some searching around but haven't found anything that looked particularly good.

Sheldon Brown is another oft quoted resource, but it may not be that easy to find exactly what you're looking for there, or get a good overview. He can be good for some little niggly details though. I'd try the Park repair site first.

It definitely pays to have the right tools, but tools can be expensive, particularly for a one-off job. Park aren't the only maker and can sometimes be more expensive, so shop around.

One other option if you don't want to buy a whole shop full of tools is to look around for a bike co-op. Not sure where you are but there is a famous one in SF The Bike Kitchen, and in my home town there is The Nunnery. Usually you can borrow tools, get advice or help, there may be classes and so on. Try a search for Bicycle co-op [your home town].

That's an impressive website. I'm looking forward to playing with that some more. I did find out that Wright Brothers here in Seattle has a co-op space. My brother is going to help me with the build, so when we are closer to getting started, this might be the place to build. Thanks for the great advice!
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anankaOct 29 '11 at 17:24

@ananka I went searching for some YouTube videos I remembered that were good and found they have taken them off YouTube and made it a subscription service at bicycletutor.com/memberships It is $50 a year, or $5.95 a month. I just remember them when they were free so can't vouch for the value. I'm not affiliated with them btw.
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Jason SOct 30 '11 at 0:00

I don't know any videos off the top of my head, however you may wish to consider buying a book instead. Zinn and the art of road bike maintenance. I have the mtb version of it and it is a great resource for everything about bike maintenance and building a frame up into a rideable bike.

Two options, first, if you want to really learn to a pro level, check out United Bicycle Institute, or a similar mechanics school. You will have to attend in person, but they are worth it, if you are the kind of person who wants to know everything you can. Usually around $1000-1200 USD for a 2 week course.

I've taken a couple of beginner classes at REI and am planning to try to find the time to go to a couple of the more expensive and more in depth classes at my local bike shop soon. I'm not sure I can take 2 weeks off work and life to take a 2 week intensive course. I'll check out the site and the books, though. Thanks for letting me know about these.
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anankaOct 29 '11 at 17:02

I'd heard of Barnett's since the mechanic at my LBS went there (from Australia!), but I didn't know about the CD so thanks, I might get one. Those courses sound great but are quite an investment in time and money if you're not planning to do repairs professionally.
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Jason SOct 30 '11 at 0:04

Agreed. The CD is awesome, since it links all the related data in a pretty easy to follow format.
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zenbike♦Oct 30 '11 at 12:54

I have learned a little bit about brake and shifter adjustment. I'll look specifically for these other things--that will help me navigate the videos out there. Thanks for the key terms. I don't think I'll be building my own wheels this time around.
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anankaOct 29 '11 at 17:05

Actually, with a halfway decent reference book wheel building is well within the abilities of a beginner. It takes patience more than anything else.
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Daniel R HicksOct 29 '11 at 18:19

I might change my mind after I've seen it done. Reading about it makes it seem daunting.
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anankaOct 29 '11 at 18:22